After spending more than 45 hours researching and two months testing 12 home security systems, we found SimpliSafe to be the best self-installed option for people who want home monitoring. SimpliSafe gives you the benefits of 24/7 monitoring without locking you into a long-term contract, and it’s affordable, reliable, and easy to install and use.

Our pick

The third generation of SimpliSafe is the most affordable and comprehensive of the no-contract systems we tested. It’s also easy to install and use, and it works with some Alexa and Google voice commands.

Buying Options

The current incarnation of SimpliSafe sports a stylish design that fits in almost anywhere, and add-ons like a video camera, a doorbell camera, smoke alarms, and additional sensors let you cover your entire home, large or small. It includes both a cellular and Wi-Fi connection and a 24-hour backup battery to give you more peace of mind. It offers support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, though not HomeKit. SimpliSafe is also the most affordable comprehensive system, with options that cover theft, fire, and water for almost any home or budget.

Buying Options

If you want to integrate security into a smart-home setup, the Abode system includes support for Z-Wave and Zigbee, as well as Nest, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT, though not Apple’s HomeKit. It’s more expensive than our main pick, but it can serve as a self-monitored system if you don’t want to pay for monitoring all the time. It also features 10 hours of battery backup, cellular backup, and short-term live-monitoring plans for three, seven, and 30 days of service at a time, which makes it useful for people who want monitoring only for special occasions like vacations.

Buying Options

The Ring Alarm Security Kit is the least expensive system we’ve tested, with many of its sensors costing less than SimpliSafe’s. Ring’s $10-per-month live-monitoring plan is the least expensive we’ve found, but the call center always responded promptly to alarms. The system includes many basics: a base station with 24 hours of battery backup, cellular backup, and a built-in siren, to name a few. However, the company is still working on adding extras like glass-break sensors, water-leak sensors, and smart-home integration (it works with Alexa, but nothing else, including Ring’s own popular doorbell and security cameras), so it’s not yet nearly as comprehensive as our top pick or other systems.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

The third generation of SimpliSafe is the most affordable and comprehensive of the no-contract systems we tested. It’s also easy to install and use, and it works with some Alexa and Google voice commands.

The research

Why you should trust us

In the process of writing this guide, we interviewed peers, home security consultants, police departments, and insurance agents. We also sent security companies detailed questionnaires about their products and services.

I’ve covered consumer electronics for more than 15 years and have tested scores of smart-home products, from remotes and security cameras to AV receivers and speakers. As a former editor for Electronic House and Big Picture Big Sound, I’ve written buying guides for multiple consumer-electronics products, and have written tech articles for Wired, Woman’s Day, GeekMom, Men’s Health, and other publications.

Who should get this

Most homes and apartments will never be burglarized. According to the FBI, the number of property crimes dropped in 2016, making it “the 14th consecutive year the collective estimates for these offenses declined.” Still, those burglaries accounted for $15.6 billion in property loss in 2016, so if you want more peace of mind about the safety of your family and the security of your belongings, and you want to know that someone will call emergency services should the need arise, a security system can play a valuable role. “An alarm system might sit there for 10 years and do absolutely nothing,” said Bob Dolph, a home security consultant who has spent decades in the business. “You only need it to work that one time.”

Just know that a home security system won’t stop a determined burglar from breaking into your house. But it can discourage someone from breaking in if they know you have it, frighten someone away if they do get in, summon cops or firefighters in case of an emergency, and save you anywhere from 8 to 15 percent on your home-insurance premium.

A professionally monitored system is more secure than an unmonitored or self-monitored one. When the system triggers a call to the service, an operator calls you to verify the alarm. Most monitoring services will double-verify: If you don’t answer, the service will call a second number. If the service receives confirmation from you that there was a break-in, or if it receives no response, it calls 911. A self-monitored system notifies only you, not the authorities, usually via text or push message to your phone. That means you need to be on call at work and at play, watching for notifications. You’ll also be the one calling police and fire departments if something is triggered. Whether you need 24/7 professional monitoring depends on how much you trust yourself (or your family, friends, and neighbors) to respond to text messages and alarms, how paranoid you are, and perhaps how much you value your stuff.

How we picked

Photo: Michael Hession

We looked for companies that offered monitoring, both with and without a contract. Many companies provide free or heavily discounted hardware in exchange for a service commitment. We found no-contract systems to be the most flexible, allowing for unexpected life changes. They also cost less in the long run and allow you to be in total control of the equipment you use, as well as how and when you use and pay for monitoring services.

Next, we prioritized systems with consistently good ratings on review sites such as A Secure Life, SecurityGem (now part of Reviews.org), and CNET, plus customer reviews on sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Amazon when available. The basic packages varied, but we looked for home security systems that included the following:

Live 24/7 monitoring: Getting a text when danger arises is great, but unless you plan to be on call all day every day (including during vacation), you want a service that will contact emergency services when you can’t.

A useful package of sensors and accessories: A home security starter package should come with door/window contact sensors and motion sensors. It’s rare for a company to include things like glass-break sensors, water sensors, and cameras—these are typically sold as add-ons—so we considered those a bonus. The size of your home will dictate what devices you need and how many of them.

An audible alarm: Signs and stickers could make a burglar think twice, but a piercing alarm will send them scurrying.

Battery backup: You shouldn’t have to let your guard down when the power goes out. Most systems have some type of battery backup.

Cellular connection: A landline connection to the monitoring service can be too easily cut.

Keypad: A smartphone app is a must for use when you’re away from home, but you don’t want to fumble with your phone when you’re coming and going. A keypad can sit by the front door, making it easy to arm and disarm the system.

Fire prevention: Preventing break-ins is only one part of a security setup; most systems also offer protection against fire and carbon monoxide, although those devices cost extra.

UL approval: We asked manufacturers if each system met industry standards like UL Standard 198 or (for systems with control panels) UL CP-01, though we didn’t rule out systems on this basis because there’s no federal requirement to meet those standards. (The UL CP-01 listing means that a control panel has features to reduce false alarms—that’s a good thing, because false alarms can cost you money.)

We didn’t consider alarm systems that required professional installation. Pro-installed systems usually cost more, use similar equipment as DIY systems, come with long and onerous contracts, and often rely on the same monitoring companies that self-installed systems use, so they offer little advantage. A good example is the Vivint system we’ve reviewed separately.

How we tested

Window stickers and yard signs warn potential burglars not to mess with your house. My house is very safe. Photo: Grant Clauser

We narrowed the list to 12 self-install security systems, which we installed across two homes and used for four weeks, testing their motion sensors, contact sensors, sirens, and smartphone apps. We used a minimum of two contact sensors and one motion sensor from each system, but also tested cameras and keypads when available. We tested systems tethered to power, as well as unplugged.

We lived with each system for four weeks, arming, disarming, and spying on each system both from inside and outside the home. We also triggered each system a minimum of five times to gauge reaction times for the monitoring company. However, keep in mind that how fast the monitoring company calls you has absolutely nothing to do with the speed at which your local authorities will respond to the alarm—if they respond at all. In Los Angeles, for instance, all alarm calls must be verified, either by an eyewitness or through video or audio from a surveillance camera or microphone. Salt Lake City has a similar ordinance. Phoenix will accept 911 calls from user-monitored systems as well as professional monitoring stations, as long as there’s audio or video confirmation of a crime taking place. Rules like this are designed to limit the time and resources that police and fire departments waste on false alarms.

Our pick: SimpliSafe

Photo: Michael Hession

Our pick

The third generation of SimpliSafe is the most affordable and comprehensive of the no-contract systems we tested. It’s also easy to install and use, and it works with some Alexa and Google voice commands.

Buying Options

SimpliSafe is a flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use live-monitoring security option. It’s one of the most reliable systems we tested, with customizable alarm triggers and consistent monitoring response times. It’s also easy to set up, scalable to small and large homes, and you can configure your system with a variety of accessories, from entry and motion detectors to fire and CO sensors to leak and temperature sensors. It even works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to arm and check the system using only voice commands.

We think that SimpliSafe is very appropriately priced, offering the security-focused person just what they need, and the company doesn’t push more than what’s necessary for basic monitoring. The $230 Foundation package includes the base station, a keypad, one entry sensor, one motion sensor, a yard sign, and two window decals. (SimpliSafe is the only no-contract company we looked at that includes a yard sign in the starter kit.) For $15 per month, you can add around-the-clock professional monitoring and a cellular connection, so the system can communicate with the monitoring service without a traditional landline. The $25-per-month Interactive plan adds control via iOS and Android smartphone apps, push and email alerts, and 30-day event-footage storage for unlimited cameras, including the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro, which is available separately.

Push notifications, email alerts, and the ability to access the system anywhere are available only with SimpliSafe’s Interactive plan.

SimpliSafe is a no-contract security system, which means you pay for monitoring service on a month-to-month basis rather than committing to a year or more term at a time. It also means you may have to pay more up front for hardware than you would with some of the companies that want to lock you into a lengthy service agreement. However, paying for the equipment up front provides you with a lot of control over what you get, where you can put it, and how you use the service. You can start and stop the monitoring service as many times as you want. If you cancel, you lose the monitoring and remote access, but the sensors and sirens still work, so you’ll still have an alarm you can set when you’re home at night.

The SimpliSafe equipment is now in its third version, with a simpler and more stylish design for both app and devices. The base station is curvier and the sensors are smaller, but the range is better, so you can place equipment less obtrusively almost anywhere in an average-size home.

SimpliSafe and Ring are the only no-contract systems to provide a standalone, wireless keypad as part of the starter package. The SimpliSafe’s keypad gives you access to far more functions: Beyond arming and disarming, you can change to system settings, add devices, and enter test modes to make sure things are working. This keypad runs on batteries, so you can mount it anywhere. The soft keypad buttons provide good feedback as you press them, and the system reacts quickly along with each press. And since the keypad is separate from the base station, even if a burglar manages to break the keypad, they haven’t actually disabled the system.

The base station is the brains behind the system. It includes Wi-Fi and cellular (with a subscription) connections to the central monitoring station, which means it doesn’t need to be connected to a router, making it easy to place anywhere in the home. It also features a 24-hour battery backup, blue and red lights for alerts, UL certification, and an adjustable 95 dB siren—not the loudest alarm, but more than sufficient for the average-size home. (If you want to go louder, or if you have a large home and need more than one siren, you can add a standalone 105 dB siren for an extra cost.)

The base station provides voice prompts during setup, as well as when the system is arming, disarming, and triggered. When the system is triggered, the voice alerts you to enter your passcode before the system starts beeping. You can also integrate SimpliSafe into an Alexa smart-home setup, which enables you to arm the system in Home or Away mode or to check the system’s status using voice commands. (For security reasons, however, you cannot currently disarm the system using voice commands.)

SimpliSafe’s contact sensors for doors and windows are small enough to hide in white trim; the motion sensor is noticeable, but not an eyesore. When placed about 6.5 feet off the ground, the motion sensor was quick to respond, but it was never triggered by a 30-pound dog. SimpliSafe also sells extra entry sensors, water and freeze sensors, glass-break sensors, panic buttons, smoke and carbon monoxide sensors, and temperature sensors. It offers indoor cameras, which may not be on a par with our camera picks, but allow for Visual Verification, an opt-in feature that allows the monitoring service to look in to confirm an emergency. In 2018, the company also introduced a new smart video doorbell with two-way audio that also works in conjunction with the SimpliSafe system; these videos can be backed up and stored as part of the monthly Interactive plan as well. You can purchase additional window stickers and yard signs, too.

Although entry and exit triggers are customizable (up to 4 minutes, 15 seconds), the response time was always consistent: In every one of our tests, the COPS monitoring service called exactly 44 seconds after the alarm sounded. The service was also always polite; and for security, it requires a safe word to restore the peace.

In October 2018, SimpliSafe added the Video Doorbell Pro, which works in conjunction with the system and as a standalone doorbell. Unlike the security system, this wired doorbell doesn’t need a paid plan to send smartphone alerts when motion is detected or when someone rings the bell. However, if you want to capture any sort of recording, you’ll need to pay $5 per month or add SimpliSafe’s Interactive plan, which includes cloud storage. We tried using the doorbell with and without a monitoring subscription. The camera uses HDR technology to deliver stellar 1080p images by day, with clear two-way audio. Nighttime images weren’t as detailed, but were fine when trying to identify people approaching the house. One thing we didn’t love was how the motion detection would trigger every time a truck or larger car would drive by 40 feet away from our front door, even on the lowest sensitivity setting. However, you can turn off motion sensing so it alerts when the doorbell is pressed. With the $5 plan, the doorbell will make one-minute clips, with gaps in between that varied between one and two minutes. With the Interactive monitoring plan, it will automatically record one-minute clips when any part of the system is armed, disarmed, or triggers a secret alert (private notifications sent by specific sensors). Similar to other SimpliSafe cameras, if there is an actual event, the doorbell will make a five-minute clip—or more, if the trigger continues. With the Interactive plan, the doorbell can also be tied into Visual Verification, as long as that feature is enabled.

We’re not alone in liking SimpliSafe. Home Alarm Report, Tom’s Guide, and PCMag all had positive things to say about this latest version of the system. The biggest gripe is limited smart-home integration options, which the company began to add only in early 2018.

Unlike some of the other no-contract systems we looked at, SimpliSafe does not have 24-hour customer service. The monitoring is 24/7, but if you have a hardware problem in the middle of the night, you may have to wait. You can contact customer service through email, Twitter, and Facebook, but the 800 number is available only from 9 a.m. to midnight (Eastern), seven days a week.

SimpliSafe is not really designed to work as a self-monitored system. Some systems (like the Ring Alarm) will send push notifications when triggered, even without a service plan. This gives you the option to peek at cameras or call police on your own. However, SimpliSafe’s self-monitoring option is limited to local use: In the event of a trigger, the siren will sound to scare away prowlers, but the system won’t alert you if you’re away from home. In fact, you don’t even get smartphone push alerts with the $15 plan; you have to upgrade to the $25 monthly Interactive plan. (The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro will send alerts to your phone if anyone comes to the door, even if they don’t ring the bell, but it costs an additional $170.) That said, we still think SimpliSafe is the best bet—and will only get better once more smart-home integration kicks in later this year.

Buying Options

If you already use a bunch of smart-home devices and you want your security system to connect with more of them than SimpliSafe currently supports, then you might prefer the Abode security system. It currently works with sensors and accessories that communicate using Z-Wave, Zigbee, and AbodeRF (radio frequency), and it integrates with IFTTT, Nest, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, so it should fit into more elaborate home-automation setups. The system isn’t as pretty as our top pick and will cost you more for the main system and accessory devices.

Abode’s web and mobile apps are easy to use and allow you to arm and disarm the system, access cameras, view the event timeline, and add and control third-party devices such as the Nest thermostat, Philips Hue bulbs, and more.

Installing the Abode system is as easy as with any other system we tested, but placement is more limited than with the SimpliSafe system, because the Abode hub needs to be connected to your network router with an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi. (The Abode system includes cellular backup, but it’s just that—a backup for emergencies.) Be sure that location isn’t overcrowded: The Abode Gateway is a little bulky—about the same size as a standard router. In addition to the network connection and cellular connection, it has a 10-hour backup battery, which is 14 hours less than SimpliSafe’s battery.

The Abode system costs more up front than our top pick: For $280 you get just the gateway, one door/window sensor, one motion sensor, and a key fob. Unlike SimpliSafe, it offers a free plan that allows for self-monitoring, three days of video and timeline storage, and the capability to connect up to 155 devices. For $10 per month, the Connect plan bumps storage up to 14 days and includes phone and email support but no professional monitoring—unless you pay an additional fee for short-term three- or seven-day monitoring or subscribe to the $30 Connect + Secure option, which adds 24/7 live monitoring and 90 days of storage.

Abode’s free and low-cost plans may work for DIYers or smart-home enthusiasts who aren’t interested in professional monitoring and would rather keep an eye on their properties themselves, and they offset the higher up-front cost of the system relative to our top pick. Once you move into the à la carte short-term coverage plans or the Connect + Secure plan, you aren’t saving money over SimpliSafe, so it’s probably still only worth considering if you really want to have more self-monitoring control and need the smart-home integrations.

In our testing, the system performed well both in self-monitoring mode and when connected to the monitoring service. Users can customize entry and exit trigger delays up to 4 minutes. The system will send an instant push confirmation when put into Away mode or when the alarm is triggered. When we tested the professional monitoring we got service calls between 70 and 120 seconds after the alarm was triggered. The service rep was always polite and asked for a four-digit PIN to keep police from being dispatched for a triggered alarm. In 2018, the company also added a custom automation engine called Cue to the Abode system. This allows you to create your own multistep conditional triggers and routines that can factor in details like the weather, time, and the phone locations of different family members.

In addition to the Z-Wave/Zigbee products and sensors that you can add to the system, Abode sells door and window sensors, acoustic glass-break sensors, 1080p cameras, and much more, including a smoke-alarm monitor that works in conjunction with your existing UL-listed smoke detector. The Abode system itself is not UL certified; according to the company, the system has the necessary components and satisfies all requirements.

Buying Options

The Ring Alarm system costs less than our other picks, but it’s also more limited. It offers no-contract 24/7 monitoring for $10 a month, and it can be used as a self-monitored security system if you choose not to pay for the service at all. The $199 starter kit is about $30 less than a comparable version of our top pick, but it doesn’t work with glass-break or leak detectors, and it can’t integrate with Ring’s own indoor/outdoor cameras and doorbell cameras.

Ring’s Protect Plus plan, which includes 24/7 live monitoring, cellular backup, fire protection, 60 days of camera storage, and a lifetime warranty for equipment damage, costs $10 per month (or $100 per year). Without a monitoring plan, the system will send smartphone alerts when triggered by an open door, window, or motion, but you’ll have to call emergency services yourself.

At 6.7 by 6.7 by 1.4 inches, Ring’s contact sensors and base station are a bit bulkier than the SimpliSafe’s, and the latter looks exactly like the original Wink Hub (that’s not a compliment). But it has the ability to connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, so you can hide it if needed.

In our tests, Ring sent smartphone alerts within 4 seconds of the alarm being triggered, with email as an option as well. Users can set the siren to follow up within 30 to 180 seconds. Verification calls from the monitoring service came within 60 seconds after the 104-decibel siren; they can be disarmed with the app or by giving the safe word to customer service. The base station also alerted us when it was disconnected from power and delivered on its promise of 24 hours of battery backup.

Two issues keep Ring Alarm out of our top spot. First, it doesn’t integrate with Ring’s existing doorbell cameras, indoor/outdoor security cameras, or security lights. In December 2018, Ring added Alexa support, so you can arm, disarm, and check system status with the sound of your voice. HomeKit and Google Assistant support are expected to follow soon. Amazon has also enabled Alexa Guard, which ties select Amazon Echo devices into the Ring system as a way to monitor for sounds of glass breaking and existing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Ring is also planning to integrate Z-Wave locks from Schlage, Yale, Kwikset, and Danalock. For now, Ring Alarm does use the same app as other Ring products. That means if you get an alarm alert on your phone, you can launch the app and view cameras from there. However, it would be nice to have those cameras take an instant photo or show what’s going on to the monitoring station like some of the other entries on our list.

Second, Ring’s system doesn’t currently offer as wide a variety of sensors and accessories as other security systems. The starter kit includes the base station, a keypad, one contact sensor, a motion detector, and a Z-Wave range extender to make sure your system is working around a larger house. You can buy extras, as well as the First Alert Z-Wave Smoke/CO alarm. Notably absent are glass-break sensors and water-leak sensors. The latter is coming soon, along with a smoke/CO listener and a 105 dB external siren.

What to look forward to

This fall, Abode Systems will start shipping the Iota, a single device with a 1080p camera, two-way voice, and support for Z-Wave, Zigbee, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home that you can use with Abode’s contract or on-demand professional monitoring. The company says that our runner-up pick isn’t going anywhere; the Iota is a new item that will work as a gateway or in tandem with the current system.

The competition

We used to recommend the Brinks Home Complete with Video system as an upgrade pick when it was under the LiveWatch brand, but the company has since changed the less-restrictive contract that made this system so appealing. It’s still a good option if you’re willing to spend $40 per month for a minimum of three years in exchange for discounted equipment, however. (The Brinks system costs $100 up front, plus a $20 activation fee). The standout feature is the ASAPer system, which includes live messaging with a predetermined contact list whenever the system is triggered. This feature makes it easier and faster to distinguish between a false alarm and a real emergency event if some people are home and some aren’t.

Scout has a no-contract system with Z-Wave support. However, the Scout system needs to be tethered to a router and is bulkier than other no-contract options. Like our top pick it won’t send any smartphone alerts without the monitoring plan. It doesn’t do that as smoothly, though, because you get very little alarm customization and the company doesn’t offer any sort of keypad option.

Frontpoint Security’s Interactive plan was our favorite home security system from 2013 to early 2016. Its equipment, monitoring plans, and features are almost identical to those of the Brinks: However, Frontpoint’s plans are slightly more expensive for the same level of service, its contracts are longer, its cancellation fees are onerous, and its pricing is less transparent than that of the Brinks system, which we no longer recommend anyway.

Nest Secure could be the best-looking no-contract option if price were no object, but at $400, it’s still too expensive. And the cost goes up when you add Nest cameras (which essentially require the Nest Aware service) into the mix. Smart-home fans may be willing to pay that price because it features Works With Nest support, but the lineup of compatible devices is limited right now. The price drops to $300 if you sign up for monthly monitoring from Brinks Home Security, which doesn’t include fire service with the Nest Protect. And though we appreciate geofencing, we had several errors with it during testing.

Link Interactive offers one-, two-, and three-year contracts starting at roughly $30 per month, but the prices are locked in and guaranteed only if you sign up for three years ahead of time. And if you cancel during your contract period, you’ll still have to pay out 75 percent of the remaining contract.

The Protect America system is easy enough to set up and use, but the monitoring fees are high and increase with the number of sensors you have, and the company locks you into a three-year contract that you can’t break without paying for the full term.

We looked into LifeShield, which used to be part of the DirectTV/AT&T family. Customers can purchase LifeShield equipment and operate it with no contract, or lease equipment and get locked into 36 months of service. However, we’d recommend seeing if the company can shake off some of its negative customer service reviews before signing up.

Samsung SmartThings ADT Home Security packs no-contract ADT monitoring into a touch panel that doubles as a SmartThings hub. Aside from the SmartThings functionality, the $400 system seems dated, with clunky sensors and the SmartThings app, which in our tests had routine problems loading the ADT portion. (Samsung updated the SmartThings app in March 2018, but the ADT system is still limited to the “classic” version.) During testing, we received automated ADT calls on three separate days stating that the system wasn’t communicating with the monitoring company, even though everything looked okay on our end. Also, in our tests of response times, ADT failed to call in two of our six tests.

Ooma is the least expensive option on our list, but it’s also the only one that doesn’t have an actual live person call you in case of emergency. Instead, an automated call alerts you when the system is triggered, with the option to call 911. This package includes phone service but little else, with no battery or cellular backup, and no smart-home integration.

Like the Scout system, SwannOne doesn’t offer a keypad but works with popular devices like the Nest thermostat, Chamberlain MyQ garage door openers, and Philips Hue lights, plus a variety of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices. But in our testing, the SwannOne system was flaky and the app and Web interface were slow to load; the system also lacks an audible exit timer.